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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632735">Partners in Crime</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows'>kickcows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Identity Porn, M/M, Sexual Content</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:48:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark likes to rob people for fun, even though he has zero need for it. He likes the thrill of the chase, except when he runs into a problematic thief that seems to always show up and take his scores from him. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Partners in Crime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivviBee/gifts">LivviBee</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a birthday gift for a very good friend of mine. :) Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not now, Friday.” Tony balanced a laser pen between his teeth, the words coming out a bit more muffled than normal, but he knew that his AI would be able to understand him. He stared at the lock he was trying to break, and with one final cut with his pen, he watched it fall to the floor, the door opening to reveal a bunch of black market jewels. “Yes!” He cheered, grabbing his bag off the floor to start pulling the score into the bag. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think so.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He groaned, turning to his right as he saw his current annoyance. Whenever he went out on a heist, this annoying little shit would show up, and here he was again. Because of <em>course</em> he was here. “What the hell.” He takes the laser pen from his mouth, shutting the safe’s door so that this lowlife criminal couldn’t take his score. “How is it you’re here too?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not the only one that gets invites from the League.” This person - Tony has decided to call him the Red Menace, as the mask he chose to wear was a red ski mask, while he himself chose to use only the latest and greatest in the tech world, one Stark Industries Photostatic veil that changed his appearance to look like anyone <em>but</em> himself. “I heard that this place was going to be neglected tonight, so I decided to check it out. What are <em>you</em> doing here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clearly I am taking the score.” He reopened the safe, and began to put the contents in the safe into his bag. “You should go and find another place to rob, Red.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No can do, sir.” Tony’s annoyance rose higher, his shoulders staying stiff as he got the last items out of the safe. “I’ll be taking that bag from you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like hell you will!”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boss - the police are on their way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His AI chirped in his ear, Tony still bothered that she had tried to speak to him earlier. “How much longer?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Less than five minutes, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something adhered to the bag in his hands, and he saw this Red Menace pull whatever it was that was put on the bag, and pulled it across the few feet that separated them. “Yoink. Nice try, sir. Maybe next time, find a different place to rob!” Tony stared in disbelief as his current annoyance gave a wave, and then went through the busted wall, leaving him alone at the scene of the crime. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Fuck</em>. He grabbed his tools, and stood up fast, his vision swimming a little as his equilibrium went off kilter. “Got it. I’m going.” He hustled out of the room the same way that he’d come in, and after walking down a few flights of stairs, tapped his head to get rid of the veil, then took off his black shirt, now dressed in a tourist shirt that says ‘I &lt;3 NY’, while he carried his bag over his shoulder. As he walked down the block, he saw three police cars race up the street to where he’d just been at, a smirk on his face as he was pleased that he got away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mind telling me why the kid was there again?” He unlocked his car, and got in, dropping his bag of tools down on the floor of the passenger seat. “I thought we talked about this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tried to warn you, Boss. But you told me to wait.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Resting his head against his steering wheel, Tony sighed. It was a weary sigh - he was tired, annoyed, and somewhat frustrated that that Red Menace had somehow gotten his loot. Again. This would be the fifth time this has happened, and frankly he’s tired of it. “Next time, tell me. I don’t care if I say to wait. If you know it’s him, I need to know. Got it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took the earpiece out of his ear, dropping it into the cup holder in his center console. Looking at the time, he saw that it was a little after three in the morning. Late enough that it didn’t make sense to go back to bed, and early enough that there wasn’t much else he could do except for sleep. Turning the car on, he decided he would grab a bite to eat and then determine what his plan for the day was going to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I have any meetings today, Friday?” He asked, as he parked his car in the garage of his building - one of the tallest buildings on the block - Stark Industries. A bag of delicious breakfast was in his hand, as he had his bag of tools slung over his shoulder. Heading into his private elevator, he went up to his penthouse, the aroma of bacon and hash browns making his mouth water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have a meeting at eight thirty with your intern.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right. His intern. “Got it. Can’t miss that one.” There were certain meetings that he definitely could miss, but that one? Definitely couldn’t miss. “Thanks, Friday.” The elevator opened in his penthouse, and he walked in, dropping his bag on the floor before going over to his couch to have a little breakfast picnic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Belly full of food, the frustration slowly began to return as he thought about that heist, and how it could have gone better. He should have been smarter - he should have moved quicker than he did. For that Red Menace to catch him, and steal his loot?? Preposterous. He slammed his coffee cup down on the table, some sloshing out onto his hand as he grumbled under his breath. The next time a bulletin went out for a heist, he was going to wait instead of jumping in to do it right away. Maybe he could catch that asshole instead of it being the other way around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony looked up from his monitor at the handsome young man that was standing in front of his desk, wearing a three-piece suit that he knew cost him a pretty penny. “Mr. Parker.” He stood up, and held his hand out to him. “You look a little tired.” It was true - the bags under Peter’s eyes were highly noticeable, and he could see that his skin was a bit on the paler side than normal. “Everything alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Late night.” As if to prove his point, Mr. Peter Parker yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “But I’m ready to work!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course you are.” He walked around his desk, and stood close to Peter. “That’s what I like most about you, Mr. Parker. Your gumption. You’re ready to get thrown into the trenches, even if you look like you’re part of the cast of ‘The Walking Dead’.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not a zombie, sir.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Resisting the urge to put his arm around Peter’s shoulders, Tony simply laughed instead. “Of course you’re not. But you sure do look like one. Come on - let’s go grab some coffee, and we’ll head down to the lab. You’re awake enough to do some experiments today, correct?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll find out.” The grin on Peter’s face made him laugh again. “I’ll be fine, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I like to hear, Mr. Parker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After getting their coffee, Tony took Peter down to their private research and development lab, where he had the workshop set up to do anything he wanted. This was his home away from home - literally. If he wasn’t up in his penthouse, or out on a heist, this is where he preferred to be. And Peter was one of the best additions that he could have hoped for. Peter had come to work at Stark Industries right out of college with a glowing recommendation from one of his close friends, and Tony knew he couldn’t <em>not</em> hire him because the kid was smart. He could easily bring a fierce competition to Stark Industries had he found another employer, but luckily, Tony had snatched him up first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look tired too, Mr. Stark.” He looked over at Peter, who was wearing a pair of welding goggles on his face. “Did you have a late night too?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave a shrug of his shoulders, then looked back down at what he was soldering. “It wasn’t one of my better nights.” The bitterness of his heist gone wrong still lingered, making him irrationally upset. “But it’s fine. I’m fine. You want more coffee?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, sir. I’m okay for now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dropping his iron, he walked over to Peter’s station, and stood behind him. He put a hand on his shoulder, and felt him tense up for the briefest second, and then as quick as it was there, it was gone. “What are you working on right now, Mr. Parker?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I might try and see what this would look like without the antennae.” Peter held up a device that Tony had thought about using on his next heist. “Want to take a look?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony Stark may be a billionaire, may be one of the smartest individuals that creates tech that the world loves, but that was never enough for him. A few years back, he’d begun testing the waters on what it would be like doing operations in the black market. It had begun as wanting to see what his own material was going for, and after getting those taken care of, he instead began to focus on more minute jobs that not necessarily others would care about. Hence, becoming part of the Black Market League, or as Red Menace had said, ‘The League’. They offered hot tips on heists that were monetarily lucrative, which yes - would seem ridiculou to a man who has a ginormous fortune, but he didn’t do it for that. He did it because he <em>liked</em> being a little bit bad. It felt good to take from people in a way that he probably could have during the daylight hours, but at night - at night, having this secret identity made the world a little bit more fun. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held the device in his hand, and was thoroughly impressed by the work that Peter had done in such a short amount of time. “This is pretty good tech.” He patted his shoulder, giving it back to him with a smile on his face. He saw Peter return the smile, his heart giving a quick little stutter in his chest as he took in his handsome features. “You find yourself a girl yet, Pete?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-M-Me?? No, Mr. Stark. No girlfriend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Raising an eyebrow up, Tony decided to try a different tactic. “Boyfriend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I-I-Is this a-a-a-a-appropriate conversation, M-Mr. Stark??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony laughed as he took a step away from Peter. “Fine, Mr. Parker. I will not ask you any other questions of the sort, as I can see you don’t wish to divulge them to me. Which, okay - you’re right. Maybe not the <em>best</em> conversation one should be having with their intern. So, sue me. I’m curious about you, that’s all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-Me? Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now <em>there</em> was the million dollar question. Just why was he so interested in Peter’s out of office habits? That was something he wasn’t sure he was ready to admit out loud, even if his brain was screaming at him that it was because he liked Peter in a way that would definitely be considered an HR violation. “Because you fascinate me, Pete. That’s why.” He flashed him a grin, then went back over to his work station. “Let’s forget this conversation ever happened, okay? Great.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke for the next half hour, Tony now focusing on another piece of tech that he wanted to use on his next heist. He heard Peter clear his throat, but decided to keep his head down, afraid that he might offend him by mistake. “I like boys.” Peter offered, his voice quiet but loud enough that Tony could hear him. “Have since I hit puberty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any special man in your life?” Tony kept his voice at the same level as Peter’s, hoping that his voice didn’t sound as excited as he felt at learning that Peter swung the way that he did. “Dating anyone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, and no. But not because I don’t want to. Just...I don’t have a lot to offer to people right now, so I won’t bore anyone with my mundane life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That got Tony to set his Dremel down as he looked over at Peter’s back. “You have a lot to offer to people, Mr. Parker. Don’t ever think otherwise. Is it money? Do you need more? I thought we were paying you a substantial salary.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are! And no, it’s not that. Well, it sort of is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned to look at him, and Tony could see that his face was incredibly red. “Talk to me, Pete. What gives?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Student loans are a bitch, sir. And while yes - you do pay me a very good salary for being only your intern, I still have a mountain of debt that I’m slowly chipping away at.” Peter shrugged his shoulders. “No one needs that bullshit. I don’t want to go out on a date, and then they expect me to pay when I can barely afford a two dollar slice of pizza from the cart outside of SI.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me the information for your student loan.” Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I mean it, Peter. If you don’t, you know that I’m very capable of finding out that information for myself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Mr. Stark. I’ve got a side gig that pays well.” Peter shook his head. “If it keeps up, then I should be good in a few months.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He raised his eyebrow up. “You’re two-timing me?” He put a fake pout on his face, then shook his head. “I’m sorry you feel that you have to take up another job in order to pay off your debt.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I shouldn’t have brought it up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silence returned to the lab, Tony looking at his phone as if he were bored. <em>Side gig - what could he possibly be doing that would earn him the same kind of money as this?</em> Putting his phone away, he stood up from his station. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you leaving, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked. He could hear the worry in his voice, and while any other time, he probably would have said something to quell that fear, Tony just did not have it in him to do that right now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep. You have a good rest of your afternoon, Mr. Parker. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning at 8:30.” He grabbed his suit jacket, putting it back on as he left the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was he running away? Absolutely. Did it matter to him? Not one bit. He had to put that distance between himself and Peter, because if he didn’t, he might make a mistake that would cost him dearly, and he wasn’t ready to face that yet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Talk to me, Friday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had just put on his veil, assuming the identity of one of the building’s tenants. After scoping out the building for two weeks, he knew that there were quite a few residents that had plenty of secrets that he could use to his advantage. He had tipped off the League, and decided to pass along some information, giving a specific time to see if he might catch the Red Menace before he was caught by him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It looks like Red is up on the fifth floor. He took the bait, Sir.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned, and hoisted himself up onto the fire escape. “Excellent. Thank you, Friday. Is he alone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is, Sir.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony began to climb up the stairs to the fifth floor, and then was in a long hallway. He walked over to the apartment number he’d given to the League and saw that the door was ajar. <em>Perfect</em>. He pushed the door open and crept quietly in, his own bag of tools hanging off of his right shoulder, as he planned on taking the loot from Red Menace this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Too bad that sticky substance that had been used on his other bag soon hit him square in the chest, trapping him against the wall with a dull <em>thud</em>. Tony stared at the Red Menace, who was standing right in front of him, with probably a frown on his face. Not that he could see it, as the ski mask was covering up every single feature of his. “Well, well.” He commented, breaking the silence first. “See you got the message too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who do you think tipped them off?” Tony grinned, the sticky substance forcing him to stay in his current position. “I sure hope this isn’t jizz.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew, gross.” Red smacked him on the face, but he could see that there was elation in his eyes. “You’re nasty, Mr…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need to call me anything.” Tony had kept his identity purposefully unrecognizable with his veil, as he really didn’t want the world to know about these terrible habits of his. “But thanks for caring, Red.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you keep calling me that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a split second, Tony could have sworn he recognized that voice, but there was no way that that could be. <em>I’m imagining things. There is no way that that is Peter Parker. He’s too innocent to be doing this kind of work</em>. He smirked, then felt the sticky substance start to lose some of its elasticity, allowing him to move a little. “Well, if you really want to know what I call you, I call you ‘Red Menace’, because you always interrupt my important jobs. Tonight, I’m doing that to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re doing <em>such</em> a great job.” The sarcasm, at any other time, might have made Tony laugh. But since it was directed to him, he only grew annoyed. “Let me know how it works out for you, Mr. Asshole.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, he did laugh. “That’s your name for me? Oh, kid. You’ve <em>got</em> to come up with something better than that. All of my ex’s already refer to me as that. That name means <em>nothing</em> to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ex’s, huh?” Red stepped closer to him, holding up the score in his hand. “Do you want this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have tipped off the League if I didn’t.” Tony commented, his eyes narrowing as he stared into Red’s brown eyes. Again, it almost looked like Peter, but that really couldn’t be possible. “So, you gonna hand it over or what?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No can do, Mr. Asshole. You’re going to be stuck there for a bit. The police will be here in…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The police are two blocks south, Boss.” Friday came through his earpiece. “We have to get going.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked up and saw Red had his head tilted, as if he had heard what Friday had said in his own ear, which again - couldn’t be possible. “Kid - you can take the loot, but don’t let me get caught. That’s against our code.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What code? Help other thieves out even though they were trying to do the same to me? Fuck you very much, Mr. Asshole. You have fun at The Raft.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony shook his head. “No way. Not gonna happen.” He moved his arm, and found the device that Peter had been working on earlier in the day, which gave him the advantage of being able to cut himself out of the binding that Red Menace had used on him. Without missing a beat, he slammed his hand hard on the back of Red’s neck, knocking him out with one blow. “Too easy, kid.” He grabbed the loot from his hand, and dumped it into his bag. He could hear the police sirens, and after a quick debate, he hauled Red up onto his shoulder, and carried him back to the fire escape, where he calmly walked down while he heard the cop cars come to a stop in front of the building. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He went down an alley, and set Red Menace’s body down. Pulling some of the loot from the bag, he tucked it inside of Red’s jacket pocket. “Take care of yourself, kid. Don’t fucking steal my heists anymore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking away from the scene of the crime, Tony made his way down the block and then got into his car, grinning like an idiot. “We did it, Friday.” He clapped his hands victoriously, as he set the look down on the floor of the passenger seat. “Finally!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Congrats, Boss! That was a good idea!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was, wasn’t it?” He pulled his veil off, and dropped it on top of the bag, rubbing his face to put a little bit of feeling back into it. It wasn’t the best tech, but it did what it needed to do to keep his real identity safe. Better than wearing a stupid ski mask. “We’re going to celebrate tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds good, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Back at Stark Industries, Tony went up to his penthoue and opened a bottle of Dom, as he tossed the score from tonight onto his kitchen table. It might not have been quite the amount he would have received had he done it by himself, but all was fair in love and hate. He couldn’t let Red not have a <em>tiny</em> bit of the prize. He hoped that he would be happy to see that when he woke up. The thought of Peter came back to his mind, and as he drank his champagne, he began to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him. <em>I mean, the kid is pretty charming. There are worse people to have a crush on</em>. He drained his glass, then poured himself another. The morning be damned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wore sunglasses down to his office the following morning, having had a little bit too much to drink the night before. It had hurt waking up this morning, but it was fine. He’d get through it. He’d had way worse hangovers than this. When he got to his desk, he opened his email and saw that he had a message from Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I’m calling out sick today, Mr. Stark. Got some real bad food poisoning last night. I should be back tomorrow, but it may be the day after. Sorry</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony should be upset, but really - this gave him the opportunity to head back to bed himself. He sent a text to Pepper telling her that he was not to be disturbed for the rest of the day, then dragged himself back up to his penthouse. Yes - more sleep was definitely on the agenda now that he didn’t have any obligations to fulfill for the day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re here??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony looked over his shoulder, and saw the familiar red ski mask staring back at him. “Of <em>course</em> I’m here.” He motioned for him to join him. “You know, since we keep meeting like this, maybe we should think about working together, instead of against each other.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean, like how you gave me those jewels last night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding his head, Tony was happy to hear that he’d checked his pockets. “Correct. And, did you notice I took you out of there? I could have left you, like you had planned on leaving me, but <em>I’m</em> not that much of an asshole.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Point taken.” Red held his hand out to him. “Fine. Shake?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A gentleman’s bond.” He agreed, and took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Now - do you want me to keep calling you Red, or is there something else you’d like to be referred to as?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sticky bandit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” He shook his head. “That is stupid. Why on earth would you want to be called that? Isn’t that something from that movie….what was it called…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Home Alone?” Tony nodded his head. “I like that movie. What’s wrong with that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, if you want to be an amateur.” He smirked, then went back to work getting the safe opened. “If we’re working together, how about I just call you Hutch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you Starsky?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very good. You’re learning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you should be Obi-Wan, and I’ll be Anakin.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment made him stop what he was doing to give his attention back to his new partner. “Are you going to make me cut your limbs off because I’ve got the higher ground?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Bad idea. Starsky and Hutch is good. I’m good with that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They worked silently, Tony finding it oddly familiar. He got the safe open, and then they divided up the contents between one another. Deciding to be a little bold, Tony leaned down and dropped a quick kiss to Red’s lips, and was surprised to feel him kiss him back. Pulling back, he smiled and looked into his eyes. “Your lips feel weird.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony laughed again, shaking his head. “Not all of us like to go old school with that tech.” He touched the ski mask that Red wore. “Mine is a bit more high tech, which is why my lips feel weird. You’ll get used to it. That is, if you want.” He smirked, and started to head for the back door, as the sound of sirens began to fill the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want!” He heard Red call out, as he made his escape. “See you, Starsky!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held up his hand and waved as he saw Red climb up to the roof. “Take it easy, Hutch!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heading back to SI, Tony dropped tonight’s haul onto the table, joining what he’d hauled the night before. He yawned, then rubbed his eyes. “Friday - find out what you can about our new friend, would you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do, Boss.” His AI answered him. “I might not find much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As I expect.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His bed looked inviting, and without a thought in his mind, he dropped down onto it with a soft groan. Bringing his hand up to his lips, he thought about that impromptu kiss and wondered if he had made Red upset. It didn’t seem like it, which made him wonder if he should have invited him back to a hotel or something - to see where it might go. <em>No, don’t get ahead of yourself. You always do this</em>. It was true - he usually got in too quick, and then flamed out spectacularly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d take it slow with Red. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Parker - how nice of you to join us today.” Tony looked up and saw Peter walk in, looking as tired as ever. “How’re you feeling? Stomach all better?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little better, thanks.” Peter was wearing a sharp looking turtleneck, no jacket today, but a pair of well tailored slacks. “I’m really sorry I called out yesterday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay. Just don’t make it a habit.” Tony returned his attention back to his computer as he saw Peter sit down. His eyes went to the back of Peter’s head, and for a crazy second, he could have sworn he saw a bruise on his neck. He shook his head, then rubbed his eyes, and looked again. The turtleneck was higher now, so whatever he might have seen was now gone. “Today’s going to be an easy day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Mr. Stark. Thank you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a quiet morning, the two of them headed down to the cafeteria to enjoy some lunch together. He was happy to hear that Peter was liking the work they were doing together, and really - he could listen to Peter talk for hours about nothing. The way he was animated when he spoke really brought a warmth to his chest, as Tony gave him his undivided attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time they went back upstairs to their shared office, Tony had forgotten about the bruise, until Peter sat down and one quick glance was all it took to confirm that yes, there was indeed a bruise right at the nape of his neck. A bruise that one would get from knocking hard into something, or having something hard knock into it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Oh, fuck me</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pushed against the bruise, and heard Peter hiss. “W-What was that for??” Peter asked, slapping his hand on the back of his neck. “That hurt, Mr. Stark!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where did you get a bruise like that?” He asked, trying to keep calm. There was no fucking <em>way</em> that Red Menace was actually Peter Parker. “Did someone hurt you? No one in this building, right? What happened to you, Peter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got into a fight.” Peter shook his head, his hand staying put on the back of his neck. “It was stupid. I thought I could handle it, but they got me pretty good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you call the police? File a report?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He <em>knew</em> Peter was lying, but didn’t bother to press him on the issue. “Well, you need to be careful. Is that why you called out yesterday? Because you were too beat up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, at least he had a feeling he was telling the truth. “Under no circumstances are you to lie to me again.” Tony said, as he took a seat back at his desk. “If something major happened like that to you, you have every right to call out. Talk to me, Pete. Don’t leave me in the dark, okay? I care about you. I want to help you, if I can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony looked at his email, and then checked his other alias email and saw that the League had sent out a notification that there would be a good score the night after next. He began to build an idea in his head about the person across the way from him, and wondered if he could pull it off. He hoped that he could, because then that could kill two birds with one stone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Guess we’ll see</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two days later, Tony approached the new heist location in stealth mode. “Friday - is he here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, boss. Mr. Parker is on the third floor, currently taking out the security guards.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He headed up to the third floor, this time the heist taking place in a fancy jewelry store that had multiple floors. What the League had sent was something very specific, and there was only one way to get it - and that was going to the third floor, and seizing one of the guards to use their body to get into the secured area. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hutch!” He called out, holding his hand up. He saw Peter turn around, the red ski mask on his face. <em>I knew those eyes looked familiar</em>. Tony still couldn’t believe it was his intern - <em>was this his side gig to make money to pay off his debt? What the hell, Peter</em>. He walked over to him and grabbed the security guard that was falling down towards the ground. “Nice night for a robbery, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Starsky.” Now that he knew it was Peter, he could hear it in his voice, plain as day. “Yeah - you ready to go in there and see what this fuss is about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like a good plan to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They carried the guard over to the door, and using his palm and his eye, they went into the restricted room with no problem. Tony saw the item in the corner of the room, his eyes lighting up as he walked over to it. With his laser pen now firmly in his hand, he began to go to work on mechanism, hoping that it would be taken care of easily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s pretty sweet equipment you’ve got there, Stark. I mean, Starsky.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony heard the slip. He lowered his hand, and looked up at Peter, who was looking anywhere but himself. “Alright.” Tapping the side of his head, he made his veil disappear, revealing his identity to Peter - thankful that he’d had the foresight to disable the security cameras in this room. “How long have you known?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The red ski mask was pulled off of his face, and he saw the fresh face of his intern staring back at him with an apologetic look on his face. “Honestly? Right now. I had thought I had seen something before, but wasn’t sure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean, you saw me use the device you modified.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew it was a risky move, but you left me no choice, you asshole.” He pushed Peter’s shoulder, and saw him wince. “Leaving me to get arrested. Who does that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a bad guy, Mr. Stark!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He barked out a laugh, then shook his head. “You are nothing of the sort, Peter.” He picked up his laser pen and returned to working on getting this heist over with. “You are as evil as I am. We are petty thieves - nothing more, nothing less. Tell me - is this how you’re paying off your loans?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then, tomorrow I’m wiring money directly to your loan account and they will be paid off. You’re done doing this shit.” Tony shook his head as he got the mechanism to unlock, and then opened it to reveal a stunning jewel. He whistled, then took it out. “We’ll split the profits on this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are <em>you</em> doing stuff like this?” Peter asked, as they got the item packed away. “You don’t need to do this kind of stuff. You’re rich!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And bored.” He smirked, as they walked out of the room together. “Come on - you hungry? Let’s go grab a bite to eat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m starving.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Police cars were just beginning to show up to the store when Tony drove by with Peter in the passenger seat. They grabbed some food at a nearby local fast food joint, then Tony took them back to SI. Peter didn’t say much as they walked into his penthouse, Tony wondering if maybe this was a bad idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never knew you lived here.” Peter said, looking around as he held his soda up to his lips, a soft whistle going through the straw in his cup. “This is pretty awesome.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only the finest money can buy.” Tony set their food down, then looked at Peter. “I brought you back here because I figured it would be easier. Not for any other reason.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter walked over to him, and put his hand on his shoulder, Tony staring down at him. “That’s a bummer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want there to be another reason?” He asked, feeling his mouth becoming unbelievably dry as he stared down into Peter’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to know what it’s like to kiss you, and not that weird tech you were wearing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That brought a smirk back to his lips as he began to lower his head. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just di-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stopped the word from finishing as he kissed Peter with a long, slow kiss. He molded his lips against his, feeling Peter’s bottom lip plump up against his own, the two of them opening their mouths at a glacial pace. Tony felt more of Peter’s mouth open, allowing him to push his tongue into his mouth, both moaning low as their wet muscles touched for the first time. He put his hand on Peter’s hip, while the other touched his face, holding him in place as he rolled his tongue inside of his mouth with a deep moan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C-Can we go to the bedroom…?” Peter asked, as they parted from each other, the need to breathe becoming overwhelming for the both of them. “Please…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to slap a lawsuit on me, are you?” Tony asked, but was already pulling Peter towards his bedroom. “Because if you are-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Tony. I won’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That got him right in the chest, as he turned and grabbed Peter, kissing him roughly as he pulled him to the bed. Hearing him call him by his first name was really doing a number on him, and to hear it said so sweetly by him, it was too much. Any animosity that he had been harbouring for the Red Menace had all but disappeared, now that he knew the man’s true identity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their clothes flew off of their bodies, Tony quickly grabbing the lube and some condoms from his nightstand. It didn’t take him very long to get Peter ready, the loud, needy noises that were spilling from Peter’s throat driving him into a mad frenzy. He gave Peter the condom, and watched as he rolled it onto his cock, moaning low as he felt Peter’s hand touch his cock for the first time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re huge.” Peter grinned, as Tony got settled between his thighs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, Pete.” He grinned right back at him, as he pushed the tip of his cock right up against his loosened hole. “Last chance…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do it…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony took that answer and ran with it, as he pushed his cock into Peter’s body. It felt good to be inside of him like this, Peter’s inner walls spasming around his cock as he got used to his thickness. He kissed his neck, moaned low into his ear, and then gave a little nudge of his hips, sinking more of his cock into his intern’s body. He felt Peter’s hands slap his back hard, and while it might have made him wince, the pain was like a hit he hadn’t realized he needed, and it forced him to thrust his hips forward hard. That got a loud moan to leave Peter’s mouth, making Tony’s lower stomach coil tight in possessiveness as he made him do it again with another hard thrust. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching between their bodies, he grabbed onto Peter’s cock and found that it was thoroughly wet with precum. It gave him the advantage of being able to slide his hand up and down with little resistance, and each time he pushed it down to the base, he gave Peter’s cock a good hard squeeze, relishing the loud moans that spilled from his lips. Tony began to pump his hips hard, knowing that he was dangerously close to an orgasm, but refused to let go until he knew that Peter was ready. One look at his face, and he could see Peter was right on the edge, and with a hard thrust forward, he felt him tighten up around him, liquid heat spilling over his fingers as he brought Peter to an orgasm. His own hips stuttered, Tony moaning low as he started to flood the condom he wore with his own release, his body shivering from head to toe from the intensity of it all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He slipped out of him, and walked shamelessly to his bathroom, disposing of the used condom. He grabbed a towel and walked back into his bedroom, Peter sprawled out on the bed. “You look gorgeous like this.” He commented, wiping up the cum off of Peter’s stomach and chest, and took care to wipe away some of the lube from his ass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thoroughly fucked?” Peter grinned, as Tony joined him back on the bed, moving them both to be under the covers. “Because wow - that was good, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you thought that was good, wait until round two.” He smirked, then kissed Peter on the lips. “You’ll be my partner in crime, won’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already said I would. Just because I know it’s you, that doesn’t change anything.” A softy yawn left Peter’s mouth, and Tony watched as he put his head on his shoulder. “Can I stay the night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to go anywhere.” Tony murmured, kissing his temple. “Good night, Red.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, Veil boy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony grinned at the comment, then got settled with Peter in his arms. He drifted off to sleep, content in more ways than one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>*** </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, there’s this job-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Setting his paper down, Tony looked over at Peter, who was sitting at his desk. “Oh? What sort of job is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be a long con.” Peter stood up, and brought over his tablet to him. “The League just sent it out. You in?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony took one look at it, and knew that it was going to be the perfect heist. “We do it together?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I was thinking.” His lover dropped a kiss to his lips, Tony putting his arm around him, happy that they could be like this with one another now that they knew who each other was. “What do you say?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds perfect, baby. Let’s make some fun money.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They shared a smile with one another. Tony knew that maybe one day he’d stop doing these kinds of jobs, but for now - the thrill was still there. And now that he was partnering with his lover, the one that had annoyed him from day one - he knew it was going to be a fun ride. </span>
</p>
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